Quote:
Originally Posted by artdutra04
This will be harder to find, but keep your eyes on the lookout for used heavier duty shears and brakes.
Look in industrial or government auctions - often times companies that go out of business or government agencies that have old stuff will auction them off, and you can pick up stuff for pennies on the dollar. You can pick up used, 20-30 year old equipment that's much better quality than new HF stuff for the same price.
Also, ask around at local machine shops and see if they have any older/mothballed equipment that they might donate to your team.
I once used one of those $300 all-in-one shear/brake/roller and it barely lasted a year of VEX and FRC use before the cast housing cracked.
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Thanks Art. Do you, or anyone, have any thing to share about bead rollers in general? My assumption is that one can use it to add rigidity to thinner sheets of aluminum without adding weight. Am I correct in this? Is it a useful tool in your experience? Once again, I have no experience in sheet metal work aside from repairing/replacing flashing on my roof.